A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
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Polka celebrity, farmer and retired Minnesota state senator Florian Chmielewski died Tuesday at his home in Sturgeon Lake at the age of 97. He should be buried with his accordion, which he played for nearly 80 years and famously played on the steps of the Minnesota Capitol building in his first Minnesota Senate term in 1971. "Freshman senator stages 'polka protest' at Capitol," a newspaper headline shouted, the story detailing how Chmielewski had broken out his accordion and performed a special... Full story
To honor and celebrate Earth Day, 28 hearty souls met on Saturday morning at the public water access on Eagle Lake in Cromwell for a roadside cleanup. The participants belong to Facebook group known as the Friends on Eagle Lake. The temperature was in the high 20s, but we had delicious hot coffee and donuts provided by the Northern Grind LLC coffee hut in Cromwell. Keeping warm was a challenge. Event chair Ragan Balzer had plotted out sections on Carlton County Road 123 for the pickup groups to... Full story
It felt like the right time to tackle something a little more serious, said Cloquet High School theater director Corey Hunt, and what could be better than a play about the Salem witch trials? The CHS performance of "The Crucible," by Arthur Miller, runs this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. "We wanted a different acting challenge for the kids, a different production challenge for the crew," Hunt said. "And a play that has something pretty important to say." Based on historical people and real events... Full story
A Carlton-based state treatment facility will remain open, after the Minnesota Legislature removed CARE Carlton from a proposal to shut it and other rural facilities down. CARE Carlton employee Tarajee Goorhouse reported to the Carlton County board on Monday that “the House and Senate have removed CARE Carlton from the proposal to close us down.” Gov. Tim Walz had sought to reallocate the funding used to maintain the program. CARE Carlton is a 16-bed all-women facility aimed at the treatment of chemical dependence and mental illness. Women who...
The Carlton school district postponed a planned meeting Wednesday of the Carlton/Wrenshall consolidation committee. Carlton schools announced the decision Tuesday on social media, citing a letter from the Wrenshall school board resetting consolidation to July 1, 2026 — one year later than originally planned. “Our school board will discuss this new possible date at its next work session,” said the Carlton postponement notice. The next work session for the Carlton board is scheduled for 7 p.m. May 13, with its next regular board meeting 7 p.m....
In announcing he won’t seek reelection in November, Gary Peterson unofficially kicked off the local election season Monday during the Carlton County board meeting. “It’s time for me to graduate from my county commissioner job,” said Peterson, a longtime educator who still substitute teaches in the area. Peterson, 71, will have served 12 years, or three full terms, on the board by the time his term representing western Carlton County wraps up at the end of the year. “Twelve years is long enou...
The issue of sewer line capacity dominated discussions during the April 18 Thomson Township Board meeting, and threatened to shut down an apartment building project that has been in the planning process for over a year. Josh Evans — an assistant engineer with the township’s new contracted engineering company, AE2S — recommended a halt on any new construction after surveying and modeling the sanitary sewer capacity for the Southridge subdivision, where developer Gregg Perich of GSP Const...
A couple stopped while traveling through Carlton County earlier this month remained in the local jail this week facing multiple felony charges. Kenneth Sky Quade, 30, of Duluth, and Bethenia Elaine Rankins, 33, of Woodbury, Minnesota, both face first- and fifth-degree drug possession charges, with first degree charges for possession of 25 grams or more of heroin or fentanyl carrying up to $1 million in fines with maximum sentences of more than 30 years in prison. A Carlton County Sheriff’s Office deputy stopped the couple for speeding at 4:30 a...
Jason Eckenberg and Adam Swanson walked through the home of Cloquet resident Ed Enlund on a routine home safety visit Monday. The Cloquet Area Fire District firefighter/EMTs took note of which rooms needed smoke alarms, pulled out a ladder, and got to work. "I'd say it improves my living spaces and probably my life - more my life than living spaces," Enlund said. The lifespan of a smoke alarm is about 10 years. The CAFD's home safety visit program and American Red Cross's Home Fire Campaign... Full story
I am deeply troubled by the recent proposal to reduce the Carlton school week from five days to four. This change was proposed without adequate notification or consultation with parents, and it threatens not only our children’s education but also places an undue burden on working families who will need to arrange and pay for additional childcare. Next year, I will have three elementary school students. According to the childcare rate at South Terrace school, this care will cost $4v per hour, resulting in $2,400 for my family next year. With t... Full story
The Northern Lights Academy is a school district serving students who need special education support for their whole school day. The staff at NLA believe all students deserve the opportunity to become academically successful and socially responsible citizens. This year they have asked the Minnesota Legislature for help in replacing outdated learning spaces which are also too small to serve all the students who need their level of support. Thank you, Sen. Jason Rarick and Rep. Jeff Dotseth, for introducing HF 4282 and SF 3939 — a request for a... Full story
Efforts are underway in the Minnesota Legislature to further damage the future of the state’s community newspapers. The Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA) has proposed last-minute legislation allowing school districts to publish their public notices on school websites rather than in their local newspapers. In its argument for moving public notices to school websites, the MSBA points to the loss of community newspapers and the increasing difficulty of finding one in which to publish its notices. Although those instances are rare, they a... Full story
On April 13, Carlton County Animal Rescue was able to offer a microchip clinic and additional resources in Cloquet's Veterans Park. A pet microchip is roughly the size of a grain of rice which, for dogs and cats, is implanted underneath the animal's skin between the shoulder blades. Many community members were surprised at how quick and easy the experience was, and shared how glad they were that they brought their pets out for this. Thanks to the partnership with the City of Cloquet and Carlton... Full story
Let's talk about electric vehicles for a moment, shall we? A few weeks ago I bought a 2022 Kia Niro and I want to share my delight with it and perhaps stimulate some conversation around this new technology that may or may not change our transportation landscape. Those of you who know me know how much I loved my 2007 Subaru Forester. We made an unbeatable team, but after 17 years together, a fuel leak that saturated the back seat helped me realize that the time had come to move away from... Full story
The annual Art Roundabout art tour is a free art festival and staycation road trip rolled into one. Visit any or all of the 14 participating venues in Cloquet, Carlton, Wrenshall and Esko from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 4, with each displaying various local talent. Don’t want to drive the 60-mile tour? There are 14 shuttle seats available at $20 each. Call 218-878-0071 to reserve your seat. The shuttle will depart from the Encore Performing Arts Center parking lot around 10:30 a.m. Saturday. Maps available at the Encore, the Pine Knot N... Full story
The annual Cloquet cleanup runs from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 4. Volunteers of all ages are encouraged to do their part in keeping the riverside cleaned up. Meet at the Dunlap Island Park shelter to get your “cleanup zone” along the riverfront. After the cleanup, volunteers will be served B&B brats and hamburgers at the Dunlap Island shelter. The cleanup is organized and sponsored by the city of Cloquet, Boldt Construction, Community Memorial Hospital, B&B Market, Community Printing and the Cloquet Area Chamber of Comme... Full story
Touted as "the future of indigenous cinema," the Thunder Film Fest offers a free day of indigenous film May 4 at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College in Cloquet. The day begins with a free breakfast at 9 a.m., followed by an opening ceremony and a sneak peek of an international documentary and Q&A with Ojibwe and Karelian casts until noon. At 1 p.m. is the community showcase, a local short film competition. The recently released documentary film "Bad River" starts at 3 p.m. Chronicling the W... Full story
The Minnesota DFL House 11A members endorsed Pete Radosevich as their candidate for Minnesota House at the convention Saturday, April 20. Radosevich was endorsed unanimously to represent House District 11A, which covers all of Carlton County and portions of Pine and St. Louis Counties. Radosevich, an attorney in Esko and longtime community activist, also operated a popular pizza restaurant in Esko for many years. He plans to serve all the people of Carlton County in the legislature, not just one political party, and has promised to seek common... Full story
The Minnesota Department of Transportation will be starting single lane closures on both northbound and southbound I-35 at the Atkinson Bridge on Monday, April 29. Traffic will be shifted to a head-to-head, single lane format on the northbound lanes of I-35 on Wednesday, May 1. The Atkinson bridge crosses Carlton County Road 61 about three miles south of Highway 210. This traffic configuration is expected to last through late August. Additionally, Carlton County Road 61 will close underneath the bridge starting on Tuesday, April 30 for bridge... Full story
The Artists of Minnesota Spring Conference will be held May 3-5 in Duluth at the Holiday Inn's Lyric Event Center, with many of our own local artists participating. The Artists of Minnesota Spring Exhibit will be open to the public 12-4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 4 and 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, May 5. The exhibit will feature over 80 original pieces of art in a variety of media. Artists of Minnesota is a statewide nonprofit with a long history going back to 1959, and each year's conference is held in a different location throughout the... Full story
Minnesota’s State Ombudsman for Long-Term Care is calling for more volunteers, especially in northeast Minnesota. With training and direction from the state office, volunteers champion the office’s mission to empower, educate and advocate for the rights of Minnesotans receiving long-term care services and support. The state is looking for volunteers who are passionate about serving people in long-term care. There are more than 2,500 nursing homes and assisted living facilities across Minnesota. Fewer than 50 of those facilities currently hav... Full story
Childhood immunization rates dropped during the Covid-19 pandemic when many families were unable to keep up with well-child check-ups. Due to this drop in immunizations, health officials have been urging families to get their children back on track. In 2019, 69.2 percent of Minnesota’s 2-year-olds were up to date for recommended immunizations, but by 2023, that rate had fallen to 63 percent, according to data from the Minnesota Immunization Information Connection. Data from Childhood Immunization Coverage shows vaccination rates are also d... Full story
The Lumberjacks track and field teams held their first home meet Tuesday at the newly renovated Members Cooperative Credit Union Stadium. "We've got a great facility," said head coach Tim Prosen. "We're really excited." While everything is shiny and new, Prosen and assistant coach Michelle Wick really praised the arrangement of the renovated facility. "The layout is way nicer," Wick said. "The kids can stay warmed up easier on the infield turf, which is also just better on their legs. And the... Full story
THURSDAY, APRIL 18 BASEBALL Esko 7 Proctor 3 South Ridge 12 Cromwell-Wright 3 Carlton/Wrenshall 15 Barnum 7 SOFTBALL Barnum 4 Carlton/Wrenshall 3 South Ridge 17 Cromwell-Wright 9 Cloquet 7 Hermantown 2 SATURDAY, APRIL 20 BASEBALL International Falls 16 Cromwell-Wright 15 Janesville-W-P 15 Cromwell-Wright 5 SOFTBALL Bethlehem Academy 12 South Ridge 6 Simley 17 Esko 0 MONDAY, APRIL 22 BASEBALL South Ridge 5 Cloquet 3 Esko 5 Mesabi East 0 Deer River 10 Carlton/Wrenshall 1 SOFTBALL Cloquet 8 ML/WR 6 Esko 13 Grand Rapids 3 Braham 10 Barnum 0... Full story
For seven innings the Carlton/Wrenshall and Barnum boys baseball teams battled nose to nose. Then, in the top of the eighth inning, all that changed when the Raptors erupted for eight runs and came away with an explosive 15-8 early season win on the road April 18. "We got down early in the game and then showed a lot of resiliency to come back and win," said Carlton/Wrenshall coach Aaron Lattu. Both teams had offensive success in the first seven innings with each team putting up seven runs... Full story
